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PHOENIX — Unable to ramp up through the first month of spring training because of lingering shoulder soreness, Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell took a step toward readiness Thursday, throwing his first bullpen session.

Two hours before Thursday night’s Cactus League game, Snell threw off the mound in front of a group of reporters and fans at Camelback Ranch. Snell threw 15 pitches — all fastballs — sitting between 87 to 89 mph.

“I feel good,” Snell said after his bullpen. “I was very excited to throw off the mound again and pitch. I’ve been looking forward to this for a while. This being like the first one where I actually could have the catcher down. I was still limited to what I could throw. I was throwing 87 to 89 [mph]. It felt effortless, easy, could command the ball, so [I’m] happy with that. [I’m] just happy to continue to grow and get better.”

The two-time Cy Young Award winner says he’s targeting an April return, and that he’s hoping to get back faster than initially expected.

“I want to pitch in April,” Snell said. “That’s my goal. So, I’ve kind of been the one pushing it, and they’re being more cautious. I think we’re just talking a little back and forth, but I think them seeing me throw a pen today, hopefully that just gives them more confidence to keep it going. I think we won’t really know until I throw a live [batting practice], I think that’s when we’ll really know. How do I recover from that? How do I feel? And then that will be like, ‘OK, let’s get him into games.’ That’s what I would envision. I’m not the front office or Dave, but that’s what I would think.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, however, isn’t ready to give a timetable for Snell’s return.

“I think honestly, to think about when he’s going to come back, we’re just a ways away from even really having that conversation,” Roberts said, noting that six weeks is “the floor” when you also account for a potential rehab assignment.

Thanks to the depth of their pitching staff, the Dodgers can afford to be patient with building up Snell. Right-handers Emmet Sheehan and River Ryan, along with left-hander Justin Wrobleski, are all possibilities for starting assignments early in the season.

“We still need him to pitch, and I know he understands that,” Roberts said of Snell. “But we do have the luxury of trying to err on the side of caution. … We are certainly better when he’s pitching for us, when he’s active.”

Snell, for his part, is thankful to be throwing again without shoulder pain.

“The whole offseason, I mean, every throw kind of hurt,” Snell said. “It was just every throw, I could feel my shoulder. It was just cranky and I couldn’t get it going. And I thought I was doing everything I needed to, and I believe I was, and ultimately, I’m feeling better.”

RAIL passengers commuting over the Easter period can expect major disruptions to services.

The UK’s biggest intercity line will be closed for six consecutive days early next month.

Engineering work has been planned for the busy route, which carries over 75 million passengers a year, from Good Friday (April 3) to Wednesday, April 8.

There will be no west coast mainline services between London Euston and Milton Keynes on these dates, with services between Preston and Lancaster halted on Easter weekend (Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5).

The upgrade works are part of a wider £400 million project, which will see improvements to the line’s reliability as well as repairs to tracks.

Jake Kelly, Network Rail’s regional director for the north-west and central region spoke to the Guardian about the latest upgrade.

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“The four-day period at Easter gives us a valuable opportunity to complete projects that simply can’t be delivered during a normal weekend,” he said.

“This ensures we maximise the time our teams are out working on the tracks.”

While the north London neighbourhood of Willesden, north London will see new tracks laid, there will also be repairs and upgrades at Harrow and Wealdstone station.

And a historic bridge in Ledburn, Buckinghamshire, which gained international notriety in the Great Train Robbery, is also scheduled for upgrades over Easter.

Kelly added that Network Rail is working hard “to keep as much of the network open as possible while carrying out these vital upgrades”.

Avanti West Coast will run services between Preston and Carlisle via the Settle-Carlisle line over the Easter period, while Anglo-Scottish services will be diverted via Dumfries and Kilmarnock between Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Network Rail has advised passengers to check before they travel on these dates.

Over 270 other upgrade projects are planned for various rail routes over the Easter period this year.

Saltwick Bay is a beautiful and dramatic stretch of sand just a short walk from Whitby and is steeped in history with fossils, shipwrecks and unrivalled sunrises

Just a short distance from Whitby lies a breathtaking beach brimming with fossils, shipwrecks and unparalleled sunrises.

Saltwick Bay is just a two-hour drive from Huddersfield and a brisk five-minute trip from Whitby itself. The stunning and dramatic North-East coastline is a sight to behold in its own right, but it encircles a sandy stretch steeped in history.

On the brief 1.5-mile stroll from Whitby you’ll encounter the Gothic Bronte-esque ruins of Whitby Abbey and the charming harbour entrance.

This picturesque walk meanders past Whitby Holiday Park where steps descend to the beach. The Whitby Guide advises checking tide times to ensure you’re not stranded by the incoming tide blocking the steps on your return journey, reports Yorkshire Live.

Fossils.

The cliffs, prone to rock falls, loom over a bed of fossils concealed among shale and shingle. These spots are ideal for exploration, with numerous Ammonites nestled between the smooth stones.

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In addition, you can discover jet, the gemstone for which Whitby is renowned.

This site of special scientific interest (SSSI) has yielded many scientific finds over the years, including the skeleton of a Teleosaurus Stenosaurus Bollensis unearthed in 1824, along with additional dinosaur footprints spotted on the beach. This prehistoric crocodile now resides at the Whitby museum.

Alum quarries.

The proximity of the fossils to the surface is due to the area’s rich mining heritage. The quarries have exposed the wealth of fossils that visitors now stumble upon.

The first alum mine was established by Thomas Challoner in the 16th century, following Henry VIII’s reformation of the UK after his marriage to Anne Boleyn.

This came about because Britain had previously imported alum from Italy, but the industry was under the Pope’s control – with whom Henry had severed ties.

When Italy stopped its supply, the UK was left without until 1649, when the vital chemical was discovered at Saltwick Bay. Under the guidance of Italian alum workers, Sir Hugh Chomley then opened a mine.

In 1673, authorisation was granted for a harbour to be constructed to transport the alum. By 1770, an alum house for the workers was built adjacent to the quarry.

However, mining ceased in 1791 when alum was replaced by aniline dyes.

Today, remnants of the mine still linger, with a ramp extending into the sea and patches of deep red shale where the shingle was extracted.

Sunrise and Sunset.

Saltwick Bay is famed for its breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. The rock pools reflect the vibrant hues of the golden sun, and from May to July, the rare ‘double sun’ phenomenon casts a second radiant orb over the sea.

Shipwrecks.

The grand Admiral Von Tromp trawler remains a significant part of local history, with the ship’s downfall forever etched on the beach.

The sturdy remains stand tall, and you can get up close to them on Saltwick Bay, stepping back in time to marvel at the maritime catastrophe.

On 30 June 1976, the Admiral Von Tromp set sail from Scarborough Harbour bound for Barnacle Bay. However, it never reached its destination, instead running aground on the rocks at Saltwick Bay.

The HMHS Rohilla also met its end here. In the early hours of 29 October 1914, with 229 souls aboard, the HMHS Rohilla struck the rocks at Saltwick Nab.

At the onset of World War I, it was en route to Dunkirk, tasked with navigating the perilous East Coast, evading German submarines and the treacherous North Sea coastlines.

Yet, it was Whitby’s rocks that sealed its fate, as the Rohilla shattered its bow upon them.