If I remember correctly, April appeared as an imagination or a ghost to Bobby more than once. Perhaps the original plan was that during season 14 April would appear several times while Bobby was looking for Hillary and her "ghost" would eventually stop him from getting revenge on her. Maybe that's why Sheree J. Wilson was kept in the opening credits.
In season 14, compared to the end of season 13, three spots became vacant in the opening credits. Only Barbara Stock got one of the free spots, but not Gayle Hunnicutt. The fact that Gayle Hunnicutt wasn't added in the opening credits suggested that Vanessa's engagement to JR wouldn't last, and in fact it didn't.