Is he big enough that he really ought to be eating something bigger than a pinkie? I've never seen a ball python do it, but when my significant other has a pinkie left over from a cornsnake hatchling that refused to eat, he'll give it to an adult, and since it's so much smaller than the meal size they're accustomed to, they swallow them live without constricting. That same snake will constrict an appropriately sized prey item, even if it's F/T.
If you re-evaluate the prey size you're offering that snake (almost no ball python should be eating pinkies at any stage) and decide that you should realistically be offering a larger rodent, be sure to stand close by the entire time the rodent is in the cage. Firstly, because it's dangerous to leave larger prey items unattended with a reptile, and secondly to ensure that your snake constricts it appropriately and intervene if not.
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