Rob Dillingham Out After Right Wrist Ganglion Cyst Surgical Removal

Rob Dillingham has undergone surgical removal of a ganglion cyst on his right wrist and is listed as Out. For a point guard, right-wrist function is critical — ball-handling precision, passing, and shooting mechanics are all directly tied to wrist health, making this more significant than a generic wrist procedure might suggest.

CLASSIFICATION: SKN/LIG / Grade 3 (Surgical) / UE — Right wrist ganglion cyst excision CONFIDENCE: Grade CONFIRMED — surgical procedure reported directly. Soft tissue (cyst) with capsular involvement classified as surgical SKN/LIG hybrid; dominant-hand UE classification applies guard-position functional significance modifier per NBA reference rules. EVIDENCE TIER: T2 — Moderate Confidence (surgical soft tissue procedure, observational literature) FLAG: SURGICAL — MD review queue escalated. Timeline resets from surgery date.

Post-surgical ganglion excision at the wrist typically carries a 4–8 week functional recovery window before return to full sport activity, though grip strength, wrist range of motion, and pain-free ball-handling must all be restored before a guard-position athlete can return safely. Given this is his dominant (right) hand and he plays a ball-handling role, expect the clinical team to err conservative on clearance criteria. The "Out" designation without a specific return window is consistent with post-surgical protocol — watch for a re-designation or practice return signal in weeks 4–6 as the key RTP milestone.

Updated on 2026-05-31: team corrected from "Minnesota Timberwolves" to "Bulls" (legacy fact sweep, roster lookup player_id=06810155-8394-47ad-92d8-19be8bbfc2eb)