Dylan Dreyer is giving a small update on her embattled "Today" co-host, Savannah Guthrie, as the search continues for Savannah’s mom, Nancy -- telling TMZ she does believe she'll likely return to the show at some point.

We caught Dylan leaving NBC Tuesday afternoon, and she said while she thinks Savannah will come back, the timing is totally unclear -- adding everyone at the show is simply giving her the space she needs because they care about her so much.

Dylan also reflected on Savannah’s emotional visit to the "TODAY" studio last Thursday, saying the hug they shared was something they both really needed in that moment.

Catch the full clip -- Dylan says the visit was incredibly emotional, adding Savannah clearly wants to get back to some sense of normal life ... she just doesn’t quite know how yet.

Still, Savannah managed a few smiles during the brief stop by the studio, doing her best to keep moving forward during an incredibly tough time.

As we reported, Nancy was taken from her Tucson home in the middle of the night on February 1. She was last seen entering the house just before 10 PM on January 31 after dinner with her daughter Annie and Annie’s husband, Tommaso Cioni.