Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Brian Wilson was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a nerve irritation in his right (pitching) elbow, the team announced following Tuesday's 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres.

With Opening Day finally in the books, the Los Angeles Dodgers have officially begun their NL West title defense. Whether or not they will be successful is obviously the big question of the season. As we look forward six months, there are certainly plenty of reasons to be hopeful.

Yasiel Puig's first home run of the 2014 season may not stop traveling until he hits his second. 

The powerful-yet-sometimes-polarizing right fielder crushed a towering shot off of the San Diego Padres' Ian Kennedy in the first inning on Tuesday afternoon, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. 

That creaking sound you hear coming from the general direction of the NL West is that of a door of opportunity opening up, and it has everything to do with an injured $215 million pitcher.

The Los Angeles Dodgers began the defending of their 2013 NL West division title by pummeling the Arizona Diamondbacks in their two-game series in Sydney, Australia, last Saturday. The 3-1 and 7-5 victories were an ideal start to a campaign filled with champagne dreams. However, Dodgers fans should resist the urge to start waiving World Series championship flags with 160 games still left on the schedule.

The Dodgers picked up 2014 right where last season left off—dashing the rival Diamondbacks' hopes and dreams on their home field. Only this time, the "home field" was in front of thousands of Australian fans at Sydney Cricket Ground. 

Following Saturday morning's 3-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers have won their season opener in four consecutive years for the first time since 1963-66, per ESPN Stats & Info.

The distance between Los Angeles, Calif., and Sydney, Australia, is roughly 7,500 miles or 6,500 nautical miles.

Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher on the National League's best team. After a 92-win season, trip to the NLCS and Cy Young campaign for the dominant southpaw, expectations were set to be sky high for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014.

Breakout Performances from the Dodgers' First Two Weeks of Spring Training

The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the favorites to win the World Series in 2014 after reaching the National League Championship Series last year. The lofty expectations are fueled by the return of well-established—and well paid—stars such as Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez.