So, let's say I drive 5 miles on EV, and come back home. Does it matter if I choose to "top off" the battery with a short charge? Will that cause early degrading?
I hope not because I do that every few days. If it was bad for the battery, I certainly think it would have been mentioned in the users manual.
It's not "bad" for the battery, but it is suggested in the manual that if you charge, you then drive the vehicle soon afterwards... It's not the best to leave the lithium pack topped up for days and not drive the car. If you do charge it to top it off, hopefully you will be driving the car shortly. Again, this is to maximize the battery packs life/ability to retain the most charge.
