Prior to the start of the 2017 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates planned to have Jung Ho Kang has the team’s everyday third baseman. However, due to legal troubles in his native South Korea, he has missed the entire season. This has led to an expanded role for David Freese.
David Freese has been forced into an everyday role in 2017 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. This comes despite Clint Hurdle and the Pirates previously planning for Freese to start a maximum of 3 or 4 days a week prior to the start of the season.