Nationals fire Rijo

Jose Rijo, a special assistant to Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden, was fired Thursday, the latest fallout from a scandal involving a top prospect from the Dominican Republic who lied about his age and name.

The team also fired Jose Baez, the Nationals’ director of operations in the Dominican Republic, and cut ties with Rijo’s baseball academy in the Dominican Republic.

Etc.

National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum agreed to a $650,000, one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants. . . . New York Mets ace Johan Santana was scratched from this morning’s “B” game start because of tenderness in his pitching elbow. Manager Jerry Manuel said it was precautionary. . . . Milton Bradley’s debut with the Chicago Cubs was cut short by mild tightness of his left quadriceps. . . . Ken Griffey Jr.’s first spring game in his return to the Seattle Mariners probably won’t come until Wednesday against the Australian national team. . . . According to the Associated Press, Alex Rodriguez was told by the New York Yankees to keep the cousin who provided him with performance-enhancing drugs away from the team.