01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Public-address announcer Bob Sheppard's authoritative voice was missing from the New York Yankees' home opener for the first time since 1950 because of a hip injury.

Sheppard threw out his left hip Monday night at his Long Island home, the Yankees said before yesterday's game against Kansas City. He will miss the three-game series against the Royals and hopes to be back April 21.

"I am very disappointed," Sheppard said in a statement. "I am optimistic that I will return to the stadium for the next homestand."

Bill Hall announced in his place. Sheppard, who became the public-address announcer in 1951, is thought to be in his 90s -- he won't give his age.

"The fact that he's been here this long is pretty incredible," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

ROUNDUP

HALLADAY AILING: Roy Halladay will miss his next scheduled start for the Toronto Blue Jays because of a forearm injury. The 2003 A.L. Cy Young Award winner has made two starts this season, beating Minnesota and then losing to Tampa Bay on Sunday. He had been expected to make his third start Saturday in Chicago against the White Sox, but now is slated to work during a three-game series against Boston in Toronto beginning April 21. The injury was revealed by general manager J.P. Ricciardi at the Red Sox home opener against the Blue Jays on Tuesday. Halladay (1-1) was 12-4 with a 2.41 E.R.A. in 19 starts last season. The right-hander was leading the A.L. in E.R.A. when his left leg was broken by a line drive on July 8. He missed the rest of the season. The Blue Jays will stick with Scott Downs to start Friday against Chicago. A.J. Burnett and Josh Towers were each moved up one day for the other two games of the series. Burnett, sidelined since scar tissue broke away in his surgically repaired right elbow during spring training, made his second rehabilitation start yesterday at the Blue Jays' facility in Dunedin, Fla. He threw 58 pitches in four innings and allowed two earned runs, six hits and no walks with four strikeouts.

SHEETS LOOKS SHARP: Milwaukee Brewers ace Ben Sheets struck out nine, walked none and scattered three hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Nashville yesterday at Des Moines, Iowa. Sheets showed no ill effects from the strained back muscle that landed him on the disabled list March 24. He appears on track to rejoin the Brewers for this weekend's series against the New York Mets. The right-hander threw 75 pitches, 51 for strikes, and hit 94 mph on the radar gun. He also consistently spotted his curveball for strikes on both sides of the plate and earned the win as Nashville beat the Iowa Cubs, 4-1.

FOUR PITCHERS SUSPENDED: Four minor-league pitchers were suspended 50 games each by the commissioner's office yesterday for violating baseball's minor-league drug program, the first penalties since the sport toughened its rules during the offseason. Two of the pitchers were in the Cincinnati Reds' organization: Ramon Ramirez and Justin Mallet. Also suspended were Waner Mateo of the New York Mets and Ryan Rafferty of the Kansas City Royals. None has ever pitched in the majors. Mallet was penalized for testing positive for a drug of abuse. The others tested positive for performance-enhancing substances.

JACK BUCK HONOR: A broadcaster from Massachusetts joined the ranks of a former president, two war heroes, the creator of Mickey Mouse and one of the most famous American writers. Former St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck yesterday became the 25th person inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians at a state Capitol ceremony in Jefferson City. He joins fellow Cardinal great Stan Musial, who was inducted in 2000. Buck, who died in 2002, was selected to the hall by Catherine Hanaway, the former House speaker and current U.S. attorney for eastern Missouri. She said honoring Buck was one of the few moments of "pure joy" in her career as a public official. Buck, born in 1924 in Holyoke, Mass., started calling Cardinals games in 1954 and became the lead announcer in 1969. Besides spending almost 50 years with the Cardinals, he called at least one game for almost every professional sport. In 1987, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

BOGGS TAKES A STAND: Wade Boggs has joined a campaign that promotes responsible drinking and warns of the perils of drunken driving. The Hall of Famer handed out transit cards to fans before the Yankees' home opener against Kansas City yesterday, allowing them to ride home by subway or bus. Boggs, whose mother was killed in a car accident in 1986, is working on this project with Johnnie Walker. "I'm proud to help launch a program that reminds everyone not to drive drunk," Boggs said. "This is a subject that I'm passionate about, particularly when it is delivered with such a positive voice." The whiskey producer, as part of its "Keep Walking" slogan, will donate $100 every time a Yankee draws a walk in Yankee Stadium this season. Boggs, a third baseman who starred for the Yankees and Boston Red Sox, twice led the American League in walks. He led the league in intentional walks for six straight years.

DEJEAN ON DISABLED LIST: The Colorado Rockies placed reliever Mike DeJean on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with discomfort in his right shoulder. The club had not yet made a move to replace the right-hander on the roster. DeJean will have an MRI today in Denver, manager Clint Hurdle said. The 35-year-old DeJean is 1-0 in two appearances this season. His last outing was Friday in San Diego.

DODGER, PIRATE MOVES: Pirates first baseman Sean Casey (bruised rib cage) and Dodgers left fielder Jose Cruz Jr. (flulike symptoms) were pulled from their teams' lineups shortly before the first pitch last night. Casey, batting .333 in his first season with the Pirates, was replaced at first by Craig Wilson. Jason Bay, who was to have hit fourth, moved to third in the order. Casey was 3-for-3 with a homer in his career against Dodgers starter Jae Seo. The Dodgers altered their batting order by moving center fielder Jason Repko from seventh to second, where Cruz was to have batted. Ricky Ledee replaced Cruz in left field and hit fifth, while first baseman James Loney dropped from fifth to seventh.