He’s been through three surgeries in a day and a half and he’s had at least six units of blood transfusions, with a 7.62 millimeter round still lodged somewhere in his lower abdomen, so it’s fairly clear any reason for optimism in medical updates on Steve Scalise’s condition are cause for much celebration.

Luckily, we have one which fits that bill. MedStar Washington Hospital Center issued this release on the Congressman’s progress at 8:10 p.m. eastern time…

From Medstar Washington Hospital
Condition Update on Congressman Steve Scalise
June 15, 2017, 8:10 pm

Earlier today, Congressman Steve Scalise underwent a second surgery related to his internal injuries and a broken bone in his leg. He remains in critical condition, but has improved in the last 24 hours. The Congressman will require additional operations, and will be in the hospital for some time. At the request of the family, we will continue to provide periodic updates.

Scalise has been sedated and, we hear, mostly unconscious since arriving at the hospital Wednesday morning upon being shot through the hip by deranged Bernie Sanders campaign volunteer James Hodgkinson, but he did have a visit from President Donald Trump earlier today. Trump also delivered a video message at tonight’s congresional charity baseball game, at which Scalise has been a mainstay until this season when Hodgkinson robbed him of his participation along with his good health in that assassination attempt. Here was that message…

What was supposed to happen at that game was that, in Scalise’s honor, both teams would be decked out in LSU uniforms. That wasn’t possible, because of this…

Maybe next year, when – one hopes – Scalise returns to the field.

In other related news, there’s a hashtag being promoted in order to support Scalise – namely #ScaliseStrong. It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it’ll have to do until somebody comes up with something snappier.

And finally, can anyone explain to us what in the hell this is supposed to mean?

Steve Scalise, shot at a congressional baseball game in Alexandria, was an early endorser of President Donald Trump https://t.co/K9akKI8Mdw pic.twitter.com/CuhYVnxnb1

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 14, 2017