Journey man: Mets pitcher Jonathan Pintaro takes improbable path to majors

NEW YORK (AP) — Some players take unusual paths to the big leagues. And then there is the journey of Jonathan Pintaro.

Undrafted from a Division II college in Georgia, he spent two seasons in the MLB Draft League for overlooked long shots. Then two years pitching for the Glacier Range Riders of the independent Pioneer League — where he compiled a 6.60 ERA.

So when Pintaro walked into the New York Mets' clubhouse Wednesday, about 2,400 miles from 2,291-seat Glacier Bank Park in Kalispell, Montana, needless to say it was an improbable arrival.

“Pretty cool story, right? I think this is an organizational win, when you're talking about a kid that was pitching independent ball last year,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Credit to him. Obviously, it's not easy what he did.”

Pintaro received a surprise promotion when the struggling Mets shuffled bullpen arms again before Wednesday night's 7-3 victory against Atlanta.

Left-handers José Castillo and Richard Lovelady were designated for assignment. Pintaro was selected to the major league roster, and lefty Brandon Waddell was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.

The 27-year-old Pintaro made his major league debut when he entered to start the ninth inning. He walked his first batter and gave up a single before getting a groundout and a strikeout.

A two-run single by 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and a walk to Matt Olson chased Pintaro, who was pulled for closer Edwin Díaz.

“It was amazing. I couldn't be more excited to be here and just grateful for the opportunity that I got today,” Pintaro said. “It was definitely a lot of nerves, and faced some good hitters out there. I think what I was not able to do was just command the zone and I think that's what I've got to work on now.”

After the game, Pintaro was given the souvenir ball from his first strikeout, which came against Braves shortstop Nick Allen.

Pintaro was born in Pelham, Alabama, and pitched for five seasons from 2017-22 at Shorter University, a small, private Baptist school in Georgia. The right-hander was toiling in independent ball for a second consecutive season when the Mets signed him to a minor league deal in June 2024.

“There was a mix of emotions," Pintaro recalled. "I called my family and we were all crying because I finally got signed.”

He pitched at three levels in the Mets' farm system last year, going 3-6 with a 2.68 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 74 innings while making 15 starts and two relief appearances.

That was good enough to get a look in the Arizona Fall League for top prospects.

“It’s been unreal,” Pintaro told reporters. “It’s been a dream come true. I did six years of college and then I was like, all right, nothing happened. So I went to indy ball in Montana. I was like, I’ll give it one or two more years, see how it goes. That second year, it happened.”

This year, Pintaro was 0-2 with a 3.40 ERA in 11 starts at Double-A Binghamton, where he racked up 57 strikeouts against 15 walks in 42 1/3 innings.

“This is a kid that continues to get people out," Mendoza said. "It’s kind of like a funky delivery, you know? Got a combination of a sinker and a cutter. So, pretty special day for him. Dream come true. And look, with the way where we’re at bullpen-wise, this is a guy that can give us up to 75-80 pitches if we need to. So, looking for length here, and we’ll go from there.”

Pintaro had just been promoted to Triple-A this week when he was re-routed to the big leagues. He was driven to Syracuse on Tuesday morning and caught the team bus to Rochester for a road series against the Red Wings. That's where he was informed he was suddenly heading south to New York City to join the Mets.

He thought it was a joke.

“Crazy ride,” Pintaro said.

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New York Mets pitcher Jonathan Pintaro, center, hands the ball to manager Carlos Mendoza as he leaves during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets Jonathan Pintaro pitches during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets pitcher Jonathan Pintaro covers first base for an out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets Jonathan Pintaro pitches during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets pitcher Jonathan Pintaro runs onto the field during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets pitcher José Castillo (54) works on the mound against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow’s troops were advancing across the battlefield in Ukraine, voicing confidence that the Kremlin's military goals would be achieved nearly four years after he ordered troops into the neighboring country.

Speaking at his highly orchestrated year-end news conference, Putin declared that Russian forces have “fully seized strategic initiative” and would make more gains by the year's end.

In the early days of the conflict in 2022, Ukraine's forces managed to thwart an attempt by Russia’s larger, better-equipped army, to capture the capital of Kyiv. But the fighting soon settled into grinding battles, and Moscow's troops have made slow but steady progress over the years. Putin frequently touts this progress — even though it is not the lightning advance many expected.

“Our troops are advancing all across the line of contact, faster in some areas or slower in some others, but the enemy is retreating in all sectors,” Putin said at the annual live news conference, which is combined with a nationwide call-in show that offers Russians across the country the opportunity to ask questions of their leader.

Putin, who has ruled the country for 25 years, has used the event to cement his power and air his views on domestic and global affairs.

This year, observers are watching particularly for Putin’s remarks on Ukraine and the peace plan put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite an extensive diplomatic push, Washington's efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv.

Putin reaffirmed that Moscow was ready for a peaceful settlement that would address the “root causes” of the conflict, a reference to the Kremlin’s tough conditions for a deal.

Earlier this week, Putin warned that Moscow would seek to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands.

The Russian leader wants all the areas in four key regions captured by his forces, as well as the Crimean Peninsula, illegally annexed in 2014, to be recognized as Russian territory. He has also insisted that Ukraine withdraw from some areas in eastern Ukraine that Moscow’s forces haven’t captured yet. Kyiv has publicly rejected all these demands.

The Kremlin has also insisted that Ukraine abandon its bid to join the Western NATO military alliance and warned that it wouldn't accept the deployment of any troops from NATO members and would view them as “legitimate target.”

Putin also has repeatedly said that Ukraine must limit the size of its army and give official status to the Russian language — demands he has made from the onset of the conflict.

Asked this week about whether Ukraine could abandon its bid to join NATO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his "position remains unchanged.”

″The United States don’t see us in NATO, for now," he said. “Politicians change.”

As it faces grinding Russian advances across the front line and relentless attacks on its energy facilities, Ukraine is in on the verge of bankruptcy — and it desperately needs more cash from its Western allies.

On Friday, European Union leaders agreed to provide a massive interest-free loan, but they failed to bridge differences with Belgium that would have allowed them to use frozen Russian assets to raise the funds.

The leaders worked deep into night to reassure Belgium, where most of the frozen assets are held, that they would protect it from any retaliation from Moscow if it backed the plan, but as the talks bogged down the leaders eventually opted to borrow the money on capital markets.

Putin commented that using the Russian assets to help Kyiv would have amounted to “robbery,” adding that the move would have spooked investors, “dealing not only an image blow but undermining confidence in the eurozone.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to attend his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, speaks during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during his annual news conference and call-in show at Gostinny Dvor, in Moscow, on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks at the annual board meeting of the country's Defense Ministry in Moscow, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)