The center field backdrop is now a dark green, and the foul areas are newly padded. Even the bets have been taken off the board.

Cashman Field in Las Vegas is as ready as it ever will be for its first - and presumably last - major-league opening day.

Major league baseball returns to a minor-league ballpark for the first time in 39 years today, when the Oakland A’s host the Toronto Blue Jays in their “home” opener at the Las Vegas stadium.

Not since Sept. 3, 1957, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 3-2 in 12 innings at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, N.J., has a major-league game been played in a minor-league park. The move was made because the A’s claimed Oakland Coliseum renovations would not be complete in time.

For Las Vegas, it’s not only a publicity coup, but a message to baseball that the gambling capital would make an ideal spring training site.

“This tells baseball that Las Vegas is a player in this,” said Don Logan, general manager of the Las Vegas Stars. “This is the adult Disneyland. This is where everyone wants to come.”

The first of six games at the southwest-styled 9,353-seat stadium will have all the trappings of a home opener, with both teams lining up on the foul lines for introductions and the singing of both national anthems.

Logan said he expects the 13-year-old stadium to be nearly filled, with additional seating overflow seating on the grassy berms down the left- and right-field foul lines for the two games against the Blue Jays and four more against the Detroit Tigers.

Once again, it’s Rogers

Kenny Rogers is back in and Melido Perez is out of the New York Yankees starting rotation.

Manager Joe Torre said Perez will return to New York today to have his arm examined by team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon. Torre said Rogers, who had been demoted to the bullpen, will start in Perez’s place Saturday in Texas.

Abbott bats, wins

Tim Salmon and Tim Wallach hit solo homers and Jim Abbott went 0-for-2 at the plate as the California Angels beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 at Dodger Stadium in the finale of the Freeway Series.

California finished the spring with a major league-best 21-10 record after winning two of three against the Dodgers, who led N.L. teams with an 18-11 record.

Abbott, who got the win, allowed four hits in six innings. With the DH not used in the N.L. park, the one-handed pitcher flied out and struck out swinging.

Clearing the bases

California’s Jim Edmonds, who had hit safely in his first 21 games this spring, went 0 for 2… . Making a comeback at the age of 31, former N.L. ERA leader Joe Magrane has won a spot in the White Sox bullpen… . Detroit manager Buddy Bell, unhappy with what he perceived to be a lack of aggressiveness on the part of shortstop Chris Gomez, said he will start 18-year veteran Alan Trammell for the first few games.