He pitched and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall, and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg) during his playing career.

[1] The most notable success of Rijo's career came as a member of the Reds, where each year as a starting pitcher from 1988 to 1993, he posted an earned run average (ERA) below 3.00.

[1] Rijo is perhaps best known for his performance in the 1990 World Series, when he recorded two victories in a four-game sweep over the defending champion Oakland A's, including a two-hitter in the final Game Four.

[2] Rijo's performance earned him the World Series MVP Award[3] as the Reds won their first championship in 14 years.

[5] On December 5, 1984, the Yankees traded Rijo with Eric Plunk, Tim Birtsas, Jay Howell, and Stan Javier to the Oakland Athletics for Rickey Henderson, Bert Bradley, and cash.

[1] Even so, Rijo was still considered enough of a prospect for the Reds to acquire him in exchange for aging slugger Dave Parker,[1] who'd had 338 runs batted in over the previous three seasons.

[15] Rijo was on the 2003 Reds roster, but he suffered an elbow injury causing him to miss the entire season, and retired soon thereafter.

Rijo used to work as a special assistant to general manager Jim Bowden of the Washington Nationals baseball team.

[16] Starting in February 2009, he took a leave of absence from his position after it was discovered that one of Rijo's scouting finds, shortstop Esmailyn Gonzalez, was actually named Carlos David Alvarez Lugo and was four years older than the Nationals believed when they signed him.

[18] In December 2011, the Dominican Republic's Anti-Money Laundering sought to question Rijo in relation to his business dealings with Matías "Daniel" Avelino Castro, a drug trafficker who was alleged to be the mastermind of the murder of journalist José Agustín Silvestre de los Santos.

[19] In July 2012, he was charged with money laundering;[18] according to a prosecutor, "about 80 percent of the assets of fugitive drug suspect Avelino Castro were in Rijo's name", including two hotels.